Early bid for election victory

Hilton Dawson, Warkworth

I was amused to note that my copy of Trevelyan Express is emblazoned with the slogan ‘printed and delivered at no cost to the taxpayer’.

Presumably, this is meant to reassure the good taxpayers of Berwick constituency.

For my part, I’d have never conceived that we might be in any way liable for the costs of eight colour pages promoting the candidacy of one of the people who’ll be seeking our votes at the General Election in 18 months’ time.

On the other hand, I am concerned at the apparent unfairness of one well-financed candidate seeking so early an advantage, particularly over people from smaller parties or independents who may be intending to put themselves forward in what is likely to be a hard-fought General Election in the Berwick constituency.

Some of us are very well aware that there are good reasons for the strict limits on expenditure which apply to all candidates in General Elections.

I will be keeping my unnumbered, undated copy of the Trevelyan Express noting only that it was delivered on November 5, 2013, and I will look out for the costs of it and subsequent publications being recorded faithfully in Ms Trevelyan’s election expenses.